Diaper holder



March 15, 1960 w. A. OLSON DIAPER HOLDER Filed March 12, 1958 INVENTOR. 40%

Willard A. Olson United StatesPatent O DIAPER HOLDER Willard A. Olson, Oklahoma City, Okla. 7

Application March 12, 1958, Serial No. 720,959

2 Claims. 01. 68-199) This invention relatesto an appliance for facilitating the handling of a diaper for preliminary washing.

An object of the invention is to provide an appliance that fits over or otherwise attaches across the open top of a toilet bowl and firmly supports a diaper so that the major part of the diaper is located in the bowl while one or more corners of the diaper are held in place at an elevated position. The appliance provides an automatic warning to people that the diaper is in the toilet bowl and is there to soak. Should the toilet bowl be flushed, the diaper is held, by the appliance, very tightly and safely so that it will not enter the sewage system.

Another object of the invention is to provide an appliance for safely supporting a diaper partially submerged in the water of a toilet bowl, the appliance being adjustable to fit various-manufacturers makes and sizes of toilet bowls.

Other objects and features of importance will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a toilet bowl with the appliance thereon.

Figure 2 is a top view of the appliance in Figure 1, parts shown in section and the adjustability illustrated in a dotted line second position representation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4. of Figure 2.

In the accompanying drawing there is a toilet bowl that has an appliance 12 that represents one embodiment of the invention. This appliance is separably mounted on the toilet bowl and extends across the top opening of the bowl. Diaper 14 represents any garment which would ordinarily or customarily be soaked in the water of a toilet bowl. Most generally such garments are diapers and therefore a diaper has been illustrated.

Appliance 12 consists of a structural support having pair of members 16 and 18 extensibly connected to each other. Each member is fiat and is made of plastic, wood or any other suitable material. The members 16 and 18 constitute sections of appliance 12, and each section has means at its outer end for gripping the upper edge of toilet bowl 10. The means for gripping the toilet bowl are composed of downturned flanges 20 and 22 which fit along the side surfaces of the toilet bowl upper rim. The flanges extend for a distance that is greater than the average width of each section with gussets 24 and 26 making up the diflerence in width.

2,928,270 Patented Mar. 15, 1960 Section 18 has an elongated passage 28 that opens through its inner end. Section 16 has an elongate flat tongue 30 that is slidably disposed in passage 28 and that has a rib 32 on one of its surfaces engaged with a corresponding groove in passage 28. The passage and tongue together with the rib and groove constitute the previously mentioned means for extensibly connecting the sections of the appliance.

One of the sections has a notch 36 that opens outwardly through an edge of the section. This notch forms a V-shaped pocket into which a part of diaper 14 is wedged to hold the diaper firmly attached to the appliance. Side walls 38 and 40 of notch 36 are tapered to increase the gripping action of the notched side walls on the diaper when the diaper is firmly pushed into place.

In use, the appliance is fitted on the toilet bowl with the notch 38 facing forward or rearward depending on the desires of the user. A diaper 14 has two or more of its ends fitted into the notch 36 by pressing the ends firmly thereinto. This wedges the diaper in place so that it cannot be drawn into the toilet even if the toilet is flushed. Yet, the major part of the diaper can remain in the water so that the diaper may be left to soak for long, 1

periods of time. The presence of the appliance on the toilet bowl serves as a warning to others that the diaper is in the toilet.

All modifications that fall within the scope of the following claims may be resorted to without departing from the claimed invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An appliance for a toilet bowl, said appliance comprising a pair of essentially flat elongated sections having adjacent ends and side edges, means extensibly connecting said ends of said sections together, clamps at the outer ends of said sections to engage the toilet bowl and hold said sections in a position spanning the open top of the toilet bowl, means in one of said sections for gripping a diaper to hold it in position so that the diaper can soak in the toilet bowl while the appliance prevents the diaper from being drawn into the toilet bowl trap, said diaper gripping means including a notch in one of said sections and spaced from said confronting end thereof and opening through one side edge of said last mentioned section, and said notch having side walls which are inclined with respect to the upper surface of said last mentioned section to enhance the gripping action between said notch side walls and the diaper.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein said clamps at the outer ends of said sections include downturned flanges to grip against the outer surfaces of the toilet bowl, said means extensibly connecting said sections including a tongue extending from the inner end of one section and a groove opening through the confronting inner end of the other section and having said tongue fitted therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,599,192 Miller June 3, 1952 2,610,742 Stanton Sept. 16, 1952 2,660,772 .Ehrhardt '..'..e. Dec. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 816,851 France May 10, 1937 

